


just keep your eyes on me

by annalyia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:57:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23004652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annalyia/pseuds/annalyia
Summary: the paladins go to a party.  lance gets keith to dance
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 80





	just keep your eyes on me

**Author's Note:**

> a (very) late birthday present for morgsmorgsmorgsblr on tumblr

Keith taps his foot against the floor along to the beat of the song. He scans the crowd, watching his fellow Paladins (plus Allura and Coran) either mingle with the various aliens present, dance, or eat.

It’s actually only Hunk who’s eating. He’s in a gaggle with three of four aliens, all of who are watching him try different things and compare them to Earth food. They’re completely enraptured by Hunk, which doesn’t surprise Keith. Hunk, although quiet, has a natural charisma when he talks about the things he likes.

Pidge and Allura are lounging on some of the couches, surrounded by quite a few people. They take turns speaking and listening, sharing stories and laughing. Allura, of course, is in her element, commanding attention but also able to give it to others when necessary. Keith envies that ability. Pidge, surprisingly, is doing well. Normally, she’d prefer to tinker with the robots or speak with like-minded people, but Keith can tell that she’s thriving in this situation, confidence boosted by both Allura’s friendship and the awe of those around her.

Coran is with a few of the other older folks, sitting at a table and sipping some sort of drink – Keith assumes it’s alcohol, but one can never be sure. There isn’t much being said at that table, which surprises Keith. Coran is normally full of anecdotes and stories, bursting at the seams to tell them the others. Occasionally, someone will say something and the whole group will react, but they seem to be doing the same as him. Watching.

Shiro, on the other hand, has been moving around from group to group. He mingles for just a few minutes, doing his best to speak with everyone. It’s just like him, always trying to include everyone. His reactions are always on point – he seems to know exactly what other people want from him.

“What are you doing over here, Keith?”

Keith turns his head to his left and sees Lance. The Blue Paladin is copying his stance, casually leaning against the wall, cup in hand. They’re not wearing their armor today, so Lance is dressed in a pair of slimming slacks with a button down, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and top button undone. 

He looks nice.

But then Keith realizes he’s been silently staring at Lance for too long. “Standing,” he says.

Lance raises an eyebrow, cocky grin appearing. “Oh? Like what you see?”

Keith scowls. “Can you not,” he deadpans. 

“Okay, okay,” Lance laughs, free hand palm up as a sign of resignation. “Have you been enjoying yourself? This is our first official party as Paladins, after all.”

“Not technically,” Keith says. “We had the party back on Arus, remember? When we saved the townsfolk and then—”

“And then the galra snuck in and ruined it. That doesn’t count, okay? This time, there aren’t gonna be any bad guys to mess shit up. We’re partying now.”

Keith tugs at his collar before saying, “yeah, I guess.”

“Here,” Lance says, placing his empty cup on the floor and reaching forward. Keith leans back at first, but he meets Lance’s eyes and sees that there is no mischief in them. The other boy sincerely wants to help. So, Keith lets him. Lance undoes the top button of Keith’s shirt, and adjusts the collar accordingly. “That should help.”

“Uh, thanks,” Keith replies softly. 

One of the corners of Lance’s mouth tug up in a genuine smile. “Of course.”

The two continue to watch the others, listening as the music swells and quiets in the background. They talk a little more, reminiscing over the past few weeks and all that they have now seen and done. Eventually, the quiet party turns rambunctious. People are loosening up, and the band is playing more lively music. Lance and Keith watch as their friends are dragged onto the dance floor by various aliens.

“Want to join them?” Lance asks, right as Keith says, “I hate dancing.”

They both stop and stare at the other.

Lance laughs first, relieving the tension that had built up in Keith. “Please?” he asks.

Keith shakes his head. “Really, no, I’m not a dancer.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

Lance nudges Keith with his elbow. “I’m sure you could do it, mullet. Dancing is easy! You just gotta let the rhythm flow through you.” To demonstrate, Lance rolls his hips—his whole body, actually—in time with the music, rising and falling with the beat. 

“I don’t think I can do that,” Keith answers. 

“Well, not everyone is graced with the same skills as me,” Lance quips, shrugging. “There are other ways to dance, though.” He points out the other Paladins and Allura. Shiro is just kind of awkwardly shuffling from side to side, but he’s doing it in such a good-natured way that no one is teasing him. Pidge and Hunk are attempting some sort of waltz—at least, Keith thinks it’s a waltz. He doesn’t know for sure—that isn’t really in tempo with the music. Allura and Coran are also hand in hand, but the dance they are doing pairs almost perfectly with the music. Their steps are with the beat, and their moves reflect the mood of the tune. 

Keith also notices that everyone is watching them, the stars of the show. “I don’t…” He sighs, shaking his head before staring at his shoes. “I don’t really want everyone looking at me, either. We’re the center of attention here, and I don’t like that.”

Lance gently takes Keith’s hand and tugs on it. “Just keep your eyes on me, okay?”

Keith doesn’t pull his hand away, but he is still reluctant. “Can we just…stay over here?” Keith asks quietly. “I don’t really want to be in the middle of the floor.”

Lance suppresses a smile as he nods. “Yeah, that’s fine.” Taking Keith’s free hand with his own, he places Keith’s on his shoulder and his on Keith’s waist.

“This is weird,” Keith says almost immediately. “Way too formal.”

“Okay, okay,” Lance says with a laugh, dropping his hand from Keith’s waist but still holding the other. The other boy hasn’t stopped him yet, and they could always use another bonding moment. 

Though, this isn’t necessarily the kind of bonding that Lance thought Keith would be into. He thought that he’d be able to grow closer over different things, like hand-to-hand combat or more near-death experiences. 

Lance isn’t upset that he’s able to bond over something less…violent and deadly.

While there’s something rewarding about having a rival—self-proclaimed or not—there is also something equally rewarding about having a friend, a partner, that you can trust and rely on. 

“Would you like to decide where our hands go, then?” Lance asks.

Keith chews on his bottom lip, thinking. There’s a light flush working its way up his neck and into his face.

It’s pretty cute, actually, Lance notes. Flustered Keith is his favorite Keith, if he had to choose. There’s something endearing and sweet about the way Keith loses his composure, all red-faced and defensive. But not a mean defensive. One that just doesn’t like being vulnerable. Not that Lance could blame Keith. Vulnerability is a learned skill, and Keith hasn’t really had the chance to learn it. 

“What if we just…did this?” Keith takes both of Lance’s hands and just sort of holds them in the space between them.

“Just this?” Lance teases, swinging their hands from side to side. 

“Yes,” Keith fusses, flushing again. 

Lance’s mouth breaks out in his trademark grin. He notices that a few of their alien hosts have noticed their behavior, and a couple of them are copying their stance. Pidge is waggling her eyebrows at them, but Lance brushes it off. This is a nice moment between him and Keith; no one else matters right now. 

Hand in hand, the two sway leisurely to the music. The last tune was upbeat, but this one is softer, slower, smoother. It allows for Keith and Lance to take their time, to focus on each other, and just have this moment together. 

“Excuse me, Paladins.” A quiet voice interrupts Lance and Keith. Lance very hesitantly tears his eyes away from Keith to look at the speaker. It’s one of the aliens, a short but slender creature with soft pink almond-shaped eyes and smooth skin the color of an opal. Her short blue hair has multiple braids with different colored beads in them. She seems rather shy to Lance, hands behind her back and eyes trained on the floor. “May I ask a question?”

“Of course,” Lance says, dropping one of Keith’s hand and squatting down to be on the alien’s level.

“Am I…can I join you?” She looks up now, eyes full of worry that she will be rejected by Lance and Keith, two mighty Paladins of Voltron who don’t have time for someone as small as she. 

With a glance over his shoulder at Keith to ensure he doesn’t have any immediate concerns, Lance says, “I don’t see why not.”

A smile breaks out on the girl’s face, revealing her shark-like teeth that do nothing to dim her smile. “Oh, thank you!” She reaches for Lance’s empty hand and looks to Keith to see if she can grab his.

Keith extends his free hand, and the girl takes it. Her skin is soft, much softer than Keith would have expected.

“I’m Aliaena,” the girl says. “My father is king here, and it was his idea to host this party.” She sways back and forth with the boys, both of who are bending their knees a little to avoid lifting Aliaena off the ground. “He’s very thankful for everything that you and the other Paladins, along with the princess and her advisors, have done for us. My father and my…mother both lived before the galra imposed their reign on our people, but I never have.”

“Your mother?” Keith asks. “We haven’t seen her yet.”

“And you won’t,” Aliaena says matter-of-factly. “The galra killed her not long after I was born.”

“I never got to know my mother either,” Keith says. 

Aliaena smiles at Keith. It’s a sad smile, but both Lance and Keith can tell that it’s something Aliaena needed to hear. To see someone who is so strong and confident shares something with her.

With that, the song ends, and Aliaena drops their hands. With a short curtsy, she says, “thank you for dancing with me! I’m not very good at most of the traditional dances for our people yet, and the dance you two were doing seemed like something I could handle.” She pauses, smiling at the two of them again. “And thank you for speaking to me as an equal. Since I am still a child in the eyes of everyone here, I am often brushed off or pushed to the side, even though I shall one day rule this place. I will tell my father of your kindness.” With that, she turns, and returns to the midst of the party.

“Well, she’s cute as a button,” Lance says as soon as Aliaena is out of earshot.

“So are you,” Keith says without thinking.

Lance arches an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Keith immediately replies, face redder than before.

“No, no, no, we are _totally_ talking about the fact that you just called me cute!”

Keith sighs. “No, we’re not.”

Lance sticks out his lower lip in a very dramatic pout. “But you did,” he whines, holding out the ‘i’ for emphasis.

After a pause, Keith says, “maybe.”

“You did.”

“Maybe.”

“You totally did.”

“ _Maybe_.”

“Keith, buddy, I _totally_ heard it.”

Keith lets out an annoyed huff, eyebrows furrowed. “Ugh, fine. I did. I said it. There, are you happy?”

“I sure am,” Lance crows. “And, well, if it makes you feel any better, you’re pretty cute yourself.”

“I’m—what?”

“You heard me,” Lance says, grinning.

“I, uh, thanks, Lance,” Keith replies, free hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks.”

Squeezing Keith’s hand that is still held tightly in his, Lance replies, “of course.”

**Author's Note:**

> so i write my best friend a fic every year for her birthday, and this year she chose a klance fic with the song "shut up and dance" by walk the moon in mind, so here it is!
> 
> please please please PLEASE leave comments and kudos! they make my life


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